The Pardee Global Human Progress Initiative

Offering Bold New Ideas for Economic Development and Developing Countries

The Pardee Initiative for Global Human Progress is a new approach to the chronic problems faced by the developing world. We don't think the answer lies in more basic research. Instead, we focus on topics where evidence is available and where there are motivated and active groups working to use that evidence to improve conditions on the ground. We work in areas where what's needed is experimentation, collaboration, and implementation.

The video above describes one of our current efforts, to increase the use of native grains in Africa and increase food security. Learn more about the project »

Offering Bold Ideas for the World's Big Issues

The problems the developing world faces now, and will face in the near future, often feel overwhelming.

With limited resources, an exploding population, and the threat of environmental and political instability, future generations in Africa and Asia face the possibility of their circumstances getting worse, not better.

Launched with a generous gift from Frederick S. Pardee in December 2013, the Global Human Progress Initiative establishes at the Pardee RAND Graduate School a multi-year program of creative and innovative approaches to improving the future human condition on a trans-regional and even global scale with a focus on Asia and Africa where the problems are greatest.

The Global Human Progress Initiative builds on the solid foundation of RAND's international development work in Africa and Asia and draws on the collective experience, knowledge and perspective of our people: Pardee RAND students and faculty, and RAND researchers. The Initiative will create partnerships and links with outside experts, scholars, and practitioners who are working on the toughest issues that impede the growth and development of individuals and societies around the globe.

One of our first collaborations is with the World Bank on the pressing global problem of youth unemployment. We aim to make a difference by bringing together others who share our goals, putting a body of knowledge into practice on the ground, and using technology to share our results and build lasting links between policy researchers and practitioners throughout the world. Another collaboration, with the African Centre for Economic Transformation, seeks to improve agricultural sustainability and food security in Africa through reintroduction of traditional foods (primarily grains) into African diets and agriculture

If you'd like to be updated on what we're working on, and/or participate, please join us.

The Global Human Progress Initiative includes support for:

Visiting scholars and practitioners

Conferences and workshops

Web-based meetings and other technology-enabled collaboration

Field research

Policy analysis training

Featured Projects

The interactive Pardee RAND Food-Energy-Water Index allows those interested in improving development to understand the dominant sources of insecurity in a nation and identify cases where many sources of insecurity are interrelated.

Although they are more nutritious and well-adapted to Africa's agro-ecological conditions, traditional grains have been losing market share to new grains—especially maize, rice and wheat. A joint initiative of Pardee RAND and the African Centre for Economic Transformation is exploring ways to bring sorghum and millet back to the dinner table, including a Superfoods Cookery Contest.

Explore Our Research

Through the Pardee Initiative, Pardee RAND students and RAND researchers conduct extensive work and write about global human development efforts in more than 75 countries around the world. An interactive map allows users to learn more about—and more easily access—that research.

Our People

Assistant Policy Analyst

Tobi Oluwatola is an assistant policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and a Ph.D. candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He began his career at KPMG Management Consulting where he worked on strategy, processes, technology and finance for corporations and government agencies.

Director, RAND Labor and Population

Krishna Kumar is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation and is the director of its Labor and Population unit, whose mission is to improve socio-economic wellbeing around the world through research and analysis. He also leads the Rosenfeld Program on Asian Development at the Pardee RAND…

Assistant Policy Analyst

Kun Gu is a doctoral candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and assistant policy analyst at RAND. Her research interest lies in international development with a particular focus on agriculture, environment and enregy, and global health.

Policy Researcher, RAND

Shira Efron is a policy researcher at RAND, a special advisor on Israel with RAND's Center for Middle East Public Policy, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has extensive experience investigating geopolitical trends in the broader Middle East as well as domestic policies in…

Assistant Policy Analyst

Mahlet (Mahal) Atakilt Woldetsadik is a doctoral fellow at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. She has an M.P.H. from École des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, where she was also a health policy research fellow and worked on…

Adjunct Policy Analyst

Assistant Policy Analyst

Adeyemi Okunogbe is a doctoral candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. He holds an M.D. from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, where he practiced as a physician in both the public and private health sectors.

Assistant Policy Analyst

Julia Pollak is a Ph.D. candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. She specializes in microeconomics and game theory, particularly market design, matching theory, auctions, and voting. Her recent work has addressed topics in military manpower, defense…